Najib Razak, former Malaysian PM charged

By Rozanna Latiff & Joseph Sipalan

July 4, 2018 — 11.29am

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust related to alleged corruption at a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

He has also been charged under Section 23 of an anti-corruption act that describes offence of using office or position for gratification.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, centre, arrives at a court house in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.Credit:AP

Najib, who spent the night in lock-up, arrived at 8.20am local time at the court complex in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie. Crowds of media and curious onlookers jostled to catch a glance of the former premier as he was led to a sessions court where he will be read the charges.

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Some members of Najib's UMNO party chanted and held up placards in solidarity with the former premier.

Earlier, state news agency Bernama broadcast Najib's convoy live as it moved slowly through morning rush-hour traffic during the long drive from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's offices in the administrative capital Putrajaya to the court in Kuala Lumpur.

Media reports said Attorney-General Tommy Thomas would lead the prosecution against Najib.

Sources have said Najib could face multiple charges.

The charges are expected to be in connection with how 42 million ringgit ($14 million) went from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit, into Najib's personal bank account.

That is only a fraction of the total amount allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. The US Department of Justice has said over $US4.5 billion was siphoned from the fund.

SRC is the initial focus of the Malaysian investigators as all the suspicious transactions involving the firm were made through Malaysian entities, unlike other 1MDB related transactions that went through foreign banks and companies.

A spokesman for Najib said on Tuesday that the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations against the former leader were "politically motivated", and that Najib will contest these charges and clear his name in court.

Mahathir said in an interview with Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery with government money were among the charges that Malaysia was looking to bring against Najib, 64, adding that Najib was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal.

Since his loss at the polls to mentor-turned-foe Mahathir, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and had millions of dollars of items seized from properties linked to his family.

In a pre-recorded message posted on Twitter after his arrest, Najib said not all the accusations against him and his family were true.

"Let investigations be carried out. I have not had a chance to defend myself," he said.